The northernmost museum in Russia is located at the intersection of the borders with Norway and Finland. It was established as a public museum and opened its doors on July 21, 1985. Visitors can see authentic household items and cultural artifacts of indigenous peoples, such as the Saami, as well as learn about the history of the development of a large copper-nickel deposit and the Pechenganikel plant. The museum also introduces the activities of the northernmost Orthodox Trifon-Pechenga Monastery, for which the Russian-Norwegian border was specifically drawn to accommodate one of its churches. Here, a collection of cores from the Kola Superdeep Borehole, extracted at a depth of 12,262 meters, is presented, along with items that belonged to Yuri Gagarin, who departed from here to join the cosmonaut team.

The total area of the premises is 371 sq. m, of which 194 sq. m is allocated for exhibitions and displays, and 12 sq. m for the storage of collections. The museum houses 3,713 items. The collections are replenished through contributions from staff and donations from the public.

The museum provides services for the identification, collection, storage, study, and publication of museum items and collections, as well as conducting exhibitions and tours.

The permanent exhibitions of the museum include themes of nature and ecology of the region, the culture and lifestyle of the Saami, the history of the Trifon-Pechenga Monastery, military actions in the Arctic during the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940 and the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, the Petsamo-Kirkenes operation, the formation and restoration of the Pechenganikel Mining and Metallurgical Company, as well as exhibitions dedicated to Yuri Gagarin, the twin town ties between the settlement of Nickel and the city of Kirkenes, and the Kola Superdeep Borehole.